Use of technology can be associated with lower risk of dementia, says study

With the first generation of people widely exposed to technology now approaching seniors, how did the use of these resources affect the risk of cognitive decline? This is the question that researchers from two Texas universities sought to answer in a new meta-analysis-a review of previous studies-published on Monday (14) in the journal Nature Human Behavior.

Research examines the so -called “digital dementia hypothesis”, which suggests that constant use of technology throughout life can increase the dependence of these devices and, over time, weaken cognitive skills.

“We often say that a very active brain in youth and middle age is a more resilient brain in old age,” said Dr. Amit Sachdev, medical director of the Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology at Michigan State University, which did not participate in the study.

But the authors found that the hypothesis of digital dementia may not be confirmed : The analysis of 57 studies, involving a total of 411,430 elderly, revealed that the use of technology was associated with a 42% reduction in the risk of cognitive impairment – Defined as a diagnosis of light cognitive impairment or dementia, or performance below expected in cognitive tests.

The technology forms analyzed included computers, smartphones, internet, email, social networks or “mixed/multiple uses,” according to the new study.

“The fact that these effects have been observed even when factors such as education, income and other aspects of lifestyle have been adjusted is also encouraging: the effect does not only seem to be a consequence of other factors related to brain health,” Dr. Jared Benge, study co-author and associate professor at the Dell Medical School, the University of Texas in Austin.

The authors researched eight databases by published studies by 2024, and the 57 selected for main analysis included 20 longitudinal studies – which accompanied participants for about six years, on average – and 37 transverse studies, which evaluate health data and outcomes at one time. The average age of adults at the beginning of the studies was 68 years.

Although the use of technology was generally associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline, the results regarding the use of social networks were inconsistent, according to the authors.

None of the 136 reviewed studies in total reported an increase in the risk of cognitive impairment associated with technology use-a consistency that is “really quite rare,” Dr. Michael Scullin, study co-author and professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University, said by email.

The research is “a very well-organized and executed meta-analysis of essentially the whole area over the past 18 or 20 years,” said Dr. Christopher Anderson, head of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s CERBROVASCULAR DIVISION DIVISION AND WOMEN’S Hospital. Anderson did not participate in the study.

But if you are thinking that study results mean that you can use technology at ease, without worrying about brain health – calm there.

“Our findings are not unrestricted screen approval without thinking,” said Benge, who is also a clinical neuropsychologist at the UT Health Austin Comprehensive Memory Center. “They are, in fact, an indication that the generation that created the internet has found ways to get positive net benefits of these tools for the brain.”

And despite the importance of the study, there are still many uncertainties about the relationship between different aspects of technology and brain health.

Technology and the brain

One of the limitations of the study, according to experts, is the lack of details about how people were using technological devices. This makes it difficult to know if participants were using computers or cell phones to actually stimulate the brain – or what specific types of use could be more associated with cognitive protection.

The absence of information about the amount of time spent on technology also prevents understanding if there is a limit where use becomes harmful – or if only a little would be enough to bring cognitive benefits, Anderson pointed out.

These questions are difficult to answer “because the volume of technological exhibitions we need to consider is huge,” said Sachdev. “Isolate a single technological exposure and its effect is complicated, and measure a whole ecosystem of technological exhibitions and… its aggregate effect is also a challenge.”

Moreover, “how much we can go beyond this study for future generations is still very uncertain, considering the ubiquity of technology today and the fact that many people are exposed to it from birth,” Anderson added.

“When we think of the kind of technology this generation had lifelong contact, it was a time when we had to strive to use technology,” Anderson added.

In addition, their brains were already well developed, Benge noted.

The study can support an alternative to the hypothesis of digital dementia: a Cognitive Reserve Theory . According to research, this theory “suggests that exposure to complex mental activities leads to better cognitive well-being in old age”, even in the face of natural changes in the brain related to aging.

It is possible that technology helps to reduce the risk of cognitive decline by keeping us neurologically active, according to Sachdev. The use of technology can also promote social connections in certain situations – and social isolation, in turn, is associated with a greater risk of dementia.

It is also possible that the elderly who use technology naturally have more active and resilient brains, which would explain their greatest engagement with these resources.

How to use technology in a healthy way

Although the study does not bring specific conclusions about the best technology use practices to preserve cognitive health – precisely because it has no detail about participants’ habits – experts have made some important observations.

“He suggests that a healthy combination of activities is probably the most beneficial, and this is in tune with other research on the subject,” Anderson said. “More than anything else, the study offers a certain relief: there is no evidence that moderate use of technology is associated with cognitive decline.”

Engaging in moderation is ideal, said Sachdev. And, according to experts, the use of technology must bring, above all, joy, genuine connections, creativity and intellectual stimulus to your life.

“It must have some kind of productivity,” he added. And that doesn’t mean entertainment is out of this definition-fun can also be productive as long as you have a purpose. However, if you are experiencing eye or neck pain for spending a long time in front of the screen, this is a clear sign of overeating of technology.

“Everything in excess can be harmful,” said Sachdev. “Identifying the purpose and duration of use, and acting according to these criteria, it is the orientation we give most subjects.”

Some elderly people avoid the use of technology because they think it is too difficult to learn. But, according to Scullin and other researchers, even people with mild dementia can be trained to use technological devices. Although learning is sometimes frustrating, this difficulty is also a positive reflex of mental stimulation involved in the process of learning to deal with technology, Scullin added.

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This content was originally published in technology use can be associated with lower risk of dementia, says study on CNN Brazil.

Source: CNN Brasil